Sunday, April 15, 2012

Hostess unions

DALLAS -- The company that makes Twinkies, Wonder bread and Ding Dongs says its making a final offer to workers to accept cost-cutting before it asks a bankruptcy court to impose the cuts. Hostess Brands Inc.

(Huffington Post)

All but 3,100 of the employees are unionized, meaning Hostess has higher pension and medical benefit costs than its competitors whose employees are not unionized.

(Yahoo Finance)

The Irving, Texas, company has asked a judge to cut its pension and healthcare commitments to workers, some of whom are Teamsters members and others who are members of a bakers union.

Word of the creditors' allegations last week outraged the Teamsters union, which counts 7,500 of Hostess's 19,000-strong work force as members.

(Wall Street Journal)

Hostess Brands Inc. on Tuesday will ask a judge to let it keep a tight grip on its Chapter 11 restructuring as the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread prepares for a faceoff with its unions.

(NASDAQ)

If a motion to eliminate the labor agreement between unions and Hostess Brand passes before a federal judge, the Bakery Confections, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union will strike, said local representative Linda Bartley.

(Emporia gazette.com)

The way the Teamsters have reacted to Hostess, it as if the company has taken the cream out of their Twinkies.

(Wall Street Journal)

Hostess Brands wants the Teamsters and bakers unions to accept reduced pension benefits and changes in work rules to lower costs.